“Every lifetime contains pivot points - sometimes flukes of destiny, sometimes seemingly preordained - that shape and eventually cement one’s path.” - Dr. Shields
Twenty eight-year-old Jessica Farris stumbles across one of these life-defining moments one seemingly ordinary day on her job as a make-up artist. While working on the face of a young woman headed out for a night of NYC clubbing, Jessica learns about an ethics and morality study for women ages 18-32, which is being held at a local university. Jessica’s client, Taylor, is supposed to participate in the study in the morning, but says that she plans to blow it off. Jessica is intrigued by the study, not to mention it’s an easy way to make $500 bucks - so she makes a snap decision to show up in Taylor’s place, pretending to be her.
When Jessica arrives at the university, she has no idea what to expect - this is a morality study, but what kind of information are they looking for? All Jessica’s fears fall to the wayside however, after she enters the classroom and begins answering questions posed by Dr. Shields, the professor in charge of the study. Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt? Describe a time in your life when you cheated. Would you cancel plans with a friend for a better offer? Jessica finds the questions easy to answer, and actually finds some relief in unburdening herself from the secrets she has been carrying.
Jessica soon proves to be an interesting subject to the elusive Dr. Shields, and is invited back for more sessions. At $500 a pop, Jessica can hardly say no. However, Dr. Shields’ invasive questions begin to probe deeper into areas of Jessica’s life that she’s not comfortable talking about. Who is this Dr. Shields? Why has Jessica proven to be such a fascinating subject? And just how far will this study push Jessica’s limits?
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have teamed up again after 2018’s smash hit, The Wife Between Us, to tell the story of An Anonymous Girl. Perfect for the psychological suspense lover, An Anonymous Girl slowly builds tension, beginning with a seemingly innocuous series of morality tests, before turning into a full-blown battle of wits.
With characters who slowly reveal damaging details about themselves, and an intriguing plot set against the backdrop of human morality and ethics, An Anonymous Girl explores just how far people will go to hide their secrets, protect their loved ones, and present a seemingly perfect life to the world. While the twists here won’t make your head spin, there is still enough intrigue to keep readers turning the pages late into the night.
While most of this novel works, the story’s main fault comes in the form of the single-faceted Dr. Shields, who could stand to be fleshed out more. Due to the narrative structure, Dr. Shields always feels to be commenting and observing from afar, making the character feel rather aloof and distant, unlike that of Jessica, who is a fascinating character with many layers for readers to ponder and explore.
Rating: **** Stars (I really liked it!)
- Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH? DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS! An Anonymous Girl
GENRE: Multiple Perspectives; Psychological Suspense; Second Person Narratives
PACE: Intensifying
WRITING STYLE: Compelling
STORYLINE: Intricately Plotted
TONE: Suspenseful
CHARACTER: Twisted
LOCATION: Manhattan; New York City
SUBJECT: Psychological Control; Ethics; Human Behavior; Makeup Artists; Manipulation; Obsession; Psychology; Psychology Teachers; Women
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